1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for driving loads. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for driving loads of light-emitting diode (LED) strings.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional multi-channel apparatus for driving loads, to effectively ensure a security of a whole system, an over-voltage and/or over-current protection mechanism is generally used. However, when such over-voltage/current protection mechanism detects that at least one of the loads of the multi-channel is abnormal, the driving voltages or driving currents provided by the whole apparatus is disabled, such as that that the normal loads also stop working.
Taking the load of a light-emitting diode (LED) string as an example, when the apparatus for driving loads drives a plurality of the LED strings, a single (or multiple) LED string is probably short-circuited and damaged due to a long time usage, or due to an improper manual operation (for example, replacing a LED string). In the conventional art, such abnormity may cause a fact that all of the LED strings are simultaneously turned off, which may lead to inconvenience in utilization.